An Aqueous Rechargeable Formate-Based Hydrogen Battery Driven by Heterogeneous Pd Catalysis

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie (International ed.) Vol. 53; no. 49; pp. 13583 - 13587
• Main Authors: Bi, Qing-Yuan, Lin, Jian-Dong, Liu, Yong-Mei, Du, Xian-Long, Wang, Jian-Qiang, He, He-Yong, Cao, Yong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag 01.12.2014; WILEY‐VCH Verlag; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Edition: International ed. in English
• Subjects: batteries; Bicarbonates; Catalysts; Charging; Discharge; energy conversion; Formates; Fuel cells; hydrogen; Hydrogen storage; lattice strain; Oxides; Palladium; Pd catalysis; Rechargeable batteries; energy conversion; hydrogen; batteries; Pd catalysis; lattice strain
• ISSN: 1433-7851; 1521-3773
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201409500

The formate‐based rechargeable hydrogen battery (RHB) promises high reversible capacity to meet the need for safe, reliable, and sustainable H2 storage used in fuel cell applications. Described herein is an additive‐free RHB which is based on repetitive cycles operated between aqueous formate dehydrogenation (discharging) and bicarbonate hydrogenation (charging). Key to this truly efficient and durable H2 handling system is the use of highly strained Pd nanoparticles anchored on graphite oxide nanosheets as a robust and efficient solid catalyst, which can facilitate both the discharging and charging processes in a reversible and highly facile manner. Up to six repeated discharging/charging cycles can be performed without noticeable degradation in the storage capacity. The formate/bicarbonate pair: A rechargeable hydrogen battery based on repetitive formate/bicarbonate interconversion in aqueous solution was developed. A hybrid material of Pd nanoparticles and reduced graphite oxide serves as the robust and efficient catalyst for both steps. Multiple charging and discharging cycles were performed with comparable storage/release efficiency and the resulting H2 gas is free of CO and CO2.